Disperse dyeing of cellulose triacetate fiber blends

ABSTRACT

A PROCESS FOR RESERVE DYEING THE BLENDED COMPONENT IN A CELLULOSE TRIACETATE TEXTILE BLEND COMPRISING CONTACTING THE BLENDED TEXTILE MATERIAL WITH AN AQUEOUS BATH CONTAINING A DISPERSE ACETATE DYE AND FROM ABOUT 3 PERCENT TO ABOUT 40 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF B-BUTOXYETHYL ACETATE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE FIBER AND FROM ABOUT 2.5 TO 30 PARTS PER 100 PARTS OF SAID B-BUTOXYETHYL ACETATE OF A DISPERSING AGENT COMPOSITION COMPRISING SALT OF A FATTY ACID SULFATE AND AN AMIDE OF A HIGHER MONOBASIC ACID WHEREIN THE SALT OF A SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOL AND AMIDE OF A HIGHER MONOBASIC ACID ARE PRESENT IN RATIOS OF FROM ABOUT 4:1 TO 2:1 RESPECTIVELY, AND WASHING THE DYED TEXTILE MATERIAL SO PRODUCED.

United States Patent US. Cl. 8-24 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for reserve dyeing the blended component in a cellulose triacetate textile blend comprising contacting the blended textile material with an aqueous bath containing a disperse acetate dye and from about 3 percent to about 40 percent by weight of B-butoxyethyl acetate based on the Weight of the fiber and from about 2.5 to 30 parts per 100 parts of said fl-butoxyethyl acetate of a dispersing agent composition comprising a salt of a fatty acid sulfate and an amide of a higher monobasic acid wherein the salt of a saturated fatty alcohol and amide of a higher monobasic acid are present in ratios of from about 4:1 to 2:1 respectively, and washing the dyed textile material so produced.

This invention relates to the solvent dyeing of cellulose triacetate fiber blends and more specifically to acetic acid ester solvent dyeing of cellulose triacetate blends.

The use of acetic acid ester solvent dyeing systems in the dyeing of cellulose triacetate is known, the process having been disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,135,576. The patented process involves the dyeing of cellulose triacetate filamentary-material in a dispersion of a disperse acetate dye in an aqueous liquor or dyebath having dissolved therein an acetic acid ester which is of low water solubility and present in the dyebath in quantities of from about 0.25 percent by weight to about percent by weight based on the Weight of the dyebath. The acetic acid esters when employed in the indicated amounts are found to increase the rate and depth of dyeing of cellulose triacetate permitting desired shades to be obtained with only a fraction as much dyestuff as is otherwise required and sometimes permitting deep shades to be obtained which cannot otherwise be obtained. While the use of these esters produces unexcelled advantages when dyeing cellulose triacetate filamentary material employed in unblended form, a certain degree of staining takes place on the blended fibers which are commonly employed in cellulose triacetate filamentary blends.

For instance, when cellulose triacetate wool or nylon blends are dyed, the main dyeing problem results from the staining properties of the disperse dyes, especially the anthraquinone blues, on the non-cellulosic component. A three-bath procedure is commonly employed in order to overcome the staining problem the procedure involving (1) selection of disperse dyes especially blues with good fastness properties and least staining on the W001, (2) use of accelerants and conditioners which favor exhaustion of disperse dyes onto the triacetate, (3) effective scouring to strip maximum dyes from the wool and (4) dyeing of the Wool with the best premetallized W001 dyes from baths buffered with ammonium acetate. The staining problems encountered in triacetate wool blends are also noticeable in other fiber blends such as, for instance, the blends of triacetate with polyamides, acrylics and polyester fibers. It can readily be appreciated that the resist dyeing of any of these aforementioned triacetate blends would be greatly enhanced if a procedure need not be employed wherein the additional step of stripping dyestuffs from the non-triacetate component of the blend is required. It can also be readily appreciated, that a dye- Patented June 15., 1971 ing procedure which incorporates the deep dyeing results of an acetic ester solvent dyebath for cellulose triacetate with staining resistance which is so superior as to frequently render a scouring step for the non-triacetate component of the blend unnecessary, would be of exceptional value to the textile industry.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a process for acetic ester solvent dyeing of cellulose triacetate fiber blends wherein superior resistance of the non-triacetate component to staining is obtained.

It is another object of this invention to provide resist dyed cellulose triacetate blended textile products.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description.

In accordance with this invention it has now been discovered that an improved reserve may be obtained on a noncellulose triacetate component in cellulose triacetate fiber blends employing acetic ester and preferably butyl Cellosolve acetate sol-vent dyebath by including in the dyebath an emulsifying agent composition comprising a water soluble salt of a sulfated fatty alcohol and an amide of a higher monobasic acid. It is preferred that the salt of a sulfated fatty alcohol be present in a preponderant proportion. The salt of a fatty alcohol sulfate is preferably a salt having the following general formula:

wherein R is an alkyl group having a carbon chain length of from C to C and X is a member selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium. Preferably X is sodium and R is a member selected from the group consisting of lauryl, cetyl, oleyl and steryl radicals. Still more preferably, the alcohol sulfate salt is sodium lauryl sulfate.

The amide of a higher monobasic acid is preferably an amide having the following general formula:

wherein R is an alkyl group having a carbon chain length of from C to C and preferably from C to C Most preferably the amide is ceryl amide.

As previously stated, it is preferred that the salt of a sulfated fatty alcohol be present in a preponderant proportion. Still more preferably, the salt of a sulfated fatty alcohol is present in quantities of from 4 to 2 parts per part of the amide. The most preferred emulsifying agent of this invention is about 3 parts of sodium lauryl sulfate per part of ceryl amide.

Dyeing may be carried out at temperatures in excess of 40 C., the exact temperature range being determined by the fiber component. Where for instance, the textile material being dyed contains polyester fibers, the dyebath temperature should be in the range of from 65 C. to 85 C. and preferably about C. Where the textile material being dyed contains nylon fibers, the dyebath temperature should be in the range of from 40 C. to 65 C. and preferably about 55 C. Should the textile material being dyed contain acrylic fibers, the dyebath temperature should be in the range of from 65 C. to C. and preferably about 80 C. Liquor ratios of 2:1 to 80:1 01 more may be used although they preferably range from about 3:1 to 8:1 for jig dyeing and from about 20:1 to 50:1 for winch dyeing. Since the liquor ratio will govern the proportion of acetic acid ester to fiber at any given concentration of the ester, it is apparent that the optimum concentration will be some extent be related to the liquor ratio. Thus, at the preferred liquor ratios the acetic acid ester and preferably butyl Cellosolve acetate used in a concentration of 0.3 to 0.5% when dyeing on the winch and about 1 to 2% when dyeing on the jig. This corresponds to a range of about 3 to 40% by weight of acetic acid ester based on the weight of fiber. The emulsifying agent composition is used in concentrations of from about 2.5 to about 30.0 parts per 100 parts of acetic acid ester. While any of the well-known disperse dyestuffs are found to give good resist qualities, that is to say non-staining resist qualities on the non-cellulose triacetate component of the blend, the following disperse dyestuffs were found to be especially suitable for use in this invention:

Eastman Scarlet R-GLF Eastman Red N-GLF C.I. Disperse Red 35 Eastman Red 2B-GLF Eastman Blue B-GLF C.I. Disperse Blue 27, C.I. No.

Latyl Blue BG C.I. Disperse Blue 60 Resolin Blue GRL Lenra Yellow R Foron Yellow 6GFL Eastman Navy 2GL Eastman Polyester Red 2G Palanil Red 3BF C.I. Disperse Red 75 Following dyeing the filamentary material may be rinsed and/or scoured in conventional manner to remove loose dye and to wash out the acetic acid ester. If a subsequent heat treatment is desired, notwithstanding the already increased safe ironing temperature, it may be carried out in conventional manner by raising the temperature of the filamentary material above about 190 C. and preferably above 200 C. for a time suflicient to increase the crystallinity and to improve the wash-fastness but insufficient to produce any substantial damage. The heating can be effected by contact as with metal cans or rolls, by hot air as on an enclosed tenter frame or by radiant heat. Alternatively heat treatment can be carried out at somewhat lower temperatures by using steam at superatmospheric pressures.

While the non-cellulose triacetate component of the blend may be any hydrophobic synthetic fiber or any noncellulosic naturally occurring fiber such as, for instance, wool, mohair, alpaca, vicuna, camel hair and the like, it has been found that the process of this invention has its greatest utility with a cellulose triactate-nylon blend. The blended material may be in the form of staple fibers, tow, continuous filament or staple fiber yarns, fabrics and/or finished articles.

As employed herein cellulose triacetate has reference to cellulose acetate having an acetyl value of at least about 59% and preferably at least about 61%, i.e. at most about 0.29 free hydroxyl group and preferably at most about 0.12 free hydroxyl group per anhydroglucose unit of the cellulose molecule.

The following specific examples are given for purposes of illustration and should not be considered as limiting the spirit and scope of this invention.

EXAMPLE 1 A dyebath is prepared by emulsifying 10 grams per liter of butyl Cellosolve acetate with 0.6 gram of sodium lauryl sulfate and 0.2 gram/liter of ceryl amide in aqueous medium at C. to C. A woven fabric having alternate warp and filling bands of wool ends and cellulose triacetate ends of 61.5% acetyl value and comprising /50 wool/ cellulose triacetate is immersed in the dyebath and run for about 10 to 20 minutes. 1.4% based on fabric weight of Latyl Blue BG C.I. Disperse Blue is then added to the dyebath and the fabric run for an additional 10 to 20 minutes. The temperature of the dyebath is then cooled slowly and the fabric rinsed. The resultant product is found to be uniformly dyed in the triacetate component with complete and unstained reserve in the wool component.

4 EXAMPLE 2 A dyebath is prepared by introducing 0.9 gram/ liter of sodium steryl sulfate and 0.3 gram/liter of ceryl amide into a bath maintained at about 60 C. A premetallized blue dye is added to the bath with sufficient ammonium acetate. A fabric having the same fiber blend and construction as the fabric of Example 1 is then run for about 15 minutes. The temperature of the bathis then raised to about C. and the fabric run for an additional hour. The bath is then slowly cooled to about 65 C. and 10 grams per liter of butyl Cellosolve acetate is added by emulsification together with an additional 0.9 gram/liter of sodium steryl sulfate and 0.3 gram/liter of ceryl amide. The fabric is run for a bout 20 minutes and 1.5% on the weight of the fabric of Latyl Blue BG C.I. Disperse Blue 60 is added. The fabric is then run for 1 hour, the dyebath cooled and the fabric rinsed. The resultant product is found to be dyed a uniform shade of blue.

EXAMPLE 3 A dyebath is prepared by introducing 0.7 gram/ liter of sodium oleyl sulfate and 0.3 gram/liter of ceryl amide into a bath maintained at about 35 C. A premetallized yellow dye is then added to the bath. A chambray fabric having a nylon warp and a filling of cellulose triacetate 61.5% acetyl value is then run for about 15 minutes. The temperature of the bath is then raised to about 95 C. and the fabric run for an additional hour. The bath is then slowly cooled to about 65 C. and 10 grams per liter of butyl Cellosolve acetate is added by emulsification together with an additional 1 gram per liter of Sipex 7WC. The fabric is run for about 20 minutes and 1.4% on the weight of the fabric of Lenra Yellow R is added. The fabric is then run for one hour, the dyebath cooled and the fabric rinsed. The resultant product is found to be dyed a uniform shade of yellow.

EXAMPLE 4 The procedure of Example 3 is repeated with the exception that the premetallized dye is omitted. The resultant product is found to be dyed uniformly yellow in the cellulose triacetate while complete and unstained resist is obtained in the nylon component.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A process for reserve dyeing a textile blend containing cellulose triacetate, the improvement in dyeing the cellulose triacetate component which consists essentially of:

(1) Contacting the cellulose triacetate blended textile material with an aqueous dye bath consisting essentially of:

(a) a disperse acetate dye,

(b) beta-butoxy ethyl acetate, in an amount of from 3% to about 40% by weight of fiber, and

(c) a dispersing agent composition that consists essentially of: a salt of a fatty alcohol sulfate having the following general formula:

wherein R is an alkyl group having a carbon chain length of from C to C and X is a member selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium, and, an amide of a higher monobasic acid having the following general formula:

wherein R is an alkyl group having a carbon chain length of C C said dispersing agent being present in an amount of from about 2.5 to 30 parts per 100 parts of said beta-butoxy ethyl acetate; and said salt and said amide are present in said dispersing agent in ratios of about 4:1 to 2:1 respectively; at a temperature from 40 to 85 C., and

(2) washing the dyed textile material.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein non-cellulose acetate component of the blend is a fiber selected from the group consisting of polyamide fibers, acrylic fibers, polyester fibers, and keratinous fibers.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the non-cellulose triacetate component of the blend is dyed subsequent to having been subjected to disperse acetate dye without having undergone a scouring operation.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein in the general formula:

X is sodium and R is a member of the group consisting of lauryl, cetyl, oleyl and stearyl radicals and in the general formula:

Nllz R is an alkyl group having a carbon chain length of from C24 110 C28.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the fatty alcohol sulfate is sodium lauryl sulfate and the amide of a higher monobasic acid is ceryl amide.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the sodium lauryl sulfate and ceryl amide are present in ratios of about 3:1 respectively.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquor ratio is from 3:1 to :1.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1964 Warner et al. 824 8/1956 Salvin 824 OTHER REFERENCES NORMAN G. TORCHIN, Primary Examiner J. D. WINKELMAN, Assistant Examiner 

